Merigold's Gift
by snapeisnotevil
Summary: When Dudley Dursley shows up on the doorstep to Harry's flat some 20 years after Harry left #4 Privet Drive, Harry is confused and a little angry. But when Dudley confesses his fear that his daughter might be a witch, Harry agrees to take his cousin back in. Can the two find reconciliation after so many years of hurt? And how will Dudley react to Harry's husband, Draco Malfoy?
1. Ch 1: Meeting Merigold

**Author's Note: _Hello all! Before we dive into the story, I just wanted to say a couple of quick things. First, I apologize for the typos and spelling errors you might encounter. I typed this up on my gaming laptop...aka, my laptop without any spell-checking document editors. I typically re-read each chapter before uploading the next, so it should get cleaned up soon. Second, my great thanks to the wonderful Rowling who's characters I am temporarily commandeering. I hope you enjoy the read! ~TJ_**

**Title: **Merigold's Gift  
**Summary: **When Dudley Dursley shows up on the doorstep to Harry's flat some twenty years after the two had parted at #4 Privet Drive, Harry is confused and just a little angry. But when Dudley confesses his fears that his young daughter might be a witch, Harry agrees to let his cousin back in his life. Can the two find reconciliation after so many years of hurt and misunderstanding? And how will Dudley react to Harry's partner, Draco Malfoy? Come meet Merigold...  
**Rating: **T - This story contains language and suggestions of violence. (As this story progresses, I might change the rating to M, most likely for language use. I will give fair-warning, though, if that happens.)

CHAPTER ONE: Meeting Merigold

The doorbell rang. Once...twice...

"Harry? Can you get that?" came a voice from the kitchen.

"What?" Harry replied sleepily, stretching as he sat up on the couch. The doorbell rang again. "Oh, right. Door."

Harry stood up and pulled the sash of his bathrobe tight around his waist. He hadn't meant to doze off, but he was so very tired. He pushed his glasses up his nose and headed to the door of his flat.

The doorbell rang a fourth time.

"I'm coming!" Harry called to the door, slighly irritated. Reaching out, he undid the bolt and pulled open the door. "He..."

Harry's greeting died on his tongue as he stared at the blonde man standing in front of him. It took Harry two tries before he could make a sound. "...Dudley?"

"Hello Harry," Dudley said awkwardly, not quite looking Harry in the eye. "I wouldn't be here...I mean, I wouldn't have come...it's just, I have my daughter to think about now."

Still confused by the appearance of his cousin, Harry was further taken aback by the word 'daughter.' And then he saw her. Little hands clutched at Dudley's pants leg and a bright blue eyes peeked around under a wisp of blonde hair the same shade as her father's. Though he could not see her well, Harry could guess she was no more than 5 years old.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, running a nervous hand through his tousled, black hair. He hadn't seen his cousin since the two had parted ways at #4 Privet Drive so many years before. Looking his cousin over now hinted at how the years had treated Dudley. He was certainly no longer the "Big-D" Harry had once known. He had lost a considerable amount of weight and his eyes seemed haunted. His clothes, though untorn or stained, were wrinkled, and a distinct smell suggested he hadn't showered in a few days.

Dudley seemed to mull over Harry's question, unsure of how to answer. Finally, as if deciding to get the worst part over as quickly as possible, Dudley spoke quickly. "I can't feed my daughter. I've lost my job, my house, and I've used up all of the savings I had left."

"Oh." What else could Harry say?

"I wouldn't have come if I wasn't desparate."

The two stood in silence for a long while. In another life Harry might have smiled, opened the door wide, and welcomed his long-lost cousin inside. But somehow, with how things were in this life, that response could not happen.

"Please, Harry," Dudley finally spoke, pleading.

"Why not go to your parents?" Harry could feel the coldness of his reply, but the appearance of Dudley had brought back all the painful memories of his past. Staring at Dudley, he forgot about the little girl tugging at her fathers clothes.

"They're dead."

Surprised, Harry raised his eyebrows. Dead? Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were dead. He let the idea sink in and wondered if he should feel sad. He didn't feel anything, really.

And then he heard it. A small, timid voice below him. "Daddy, I'm_ hungry_," the voice insisted.

Harry sighed, and opened the door wide. "Come in, then. We were just about to have breakfast."

The look of relief on Dudley's face stung Harry. He didn't like to be so cold, but he had been taken off guard. Stepping aside to let his cousin and the little girl into the flat, he couldn't help the curiousity that was bubbling inside of him now that the initial shock was fading away.

"What's her name?" Harry asked first after closing the door and turning around.

"This is Merigold. Say hi to Harry, dear," Dudley instructed.

Harry nearly snorted at the word 'dear.' There was something profoundly weird about seeing Dudley as a father. But Harry held back his amusement and bent down to meet Merigold's height.

"Hello there, Merrigold." Harry smiled as the girl clutched even tighter to her father. Harry straightened back up, and motioned to the couch and chairs. "Breakfast will be ready soon, if you want to wait here. I'll go and make sure we have enough eggs cooking."

"Thank you." Dudley took Merigold's hand and led her to the couch, but before the two had hardly taken a step, a voice called out from the kitchen.

"Harry, darling, who was that at the door?"

Dudley turned to Harry just in time to see Harry's face flush a deep red. Confused, Dudley turned to the kitchen, his eyes opening wide in surprise.

A man stepped into the living room, shirtless with a mixing bowl in his hands. His white-blonde hair and pale skin contrasted sharply with the dark, satin-green lounge pants he wore low at his waist. Gray eyes scanned the room, almost with an air of boredom, and finally rested on Harry, then the two strangers.

"Draco, this is my cousin Dudley Dursley and his daughter Merigold. Dudley, this is Draco Malfoy..." Harry paused, a little unsure of himself, "...my husband."

Dudley didn't say a word. He just stood there, staring, at Draco first, and then back at Harry.

"Dudley?" Draco asked in a tone of amusement. He strolled foward, un-phased by Dudley's staring, and inspected the man. "_The_ Dudley Dursley. You know, Harry once told me that I was the only person he hated more than you."

"I'm suprised he found someone to hate more," Dudley was finally able to respond.

Draco gave a short laugh. "Harry hardly ever mentions you. I wonder why it is that you've decided to grace us with your presence now, after all these years?"

"He needs money," Harry piped in before his cousin could respond.

"Naturally," Draco sneered at first, then smiled just a little too sweetly. "But, of course, Harry's much too nice to turn you away. Even you..."

"It's not money I need," Dudley tried to defend himself. "I mean, I suppose that's partly it. But it's my daughter that I'm here for. I could have gone other places for food - charities, churches..."

"Then why here?" Harry interrupted, feeling decidedly uneasy about the entire situation.

"Because I think she's like you."

"Like me?" Harry asked, confused.

"She...does things."

"Your cousin has a way with words," Draco said sarcastically.

"M-m-magical things," Dudley stuttered.

Harry stared and Draco raised his eyebrows, his curiousity peaked.

"What sort of magical things," Harry asked when Dudley did not continue.

Dudley's face contorted in thought. "It's hard to explain. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just imagining it from all the stress I've been dealing with. But she's constantly getting herself into trouble. The other day I found her high in a tree, and when I asked her how she had managed to climb the tree, all she would say was that a dog had chased her and she had jumped. But the tree was so high! And every once in a while I'll see things move..."

"Your cousin is insane," Draco interrupted.

"No, no, I'm not making this up!" Dudley turned to Harry. "You have to believe me!"

Harry frowned. A distant memory came to his mind. Dudley and his friends had chased him once and, somehow, he had found himself on the roof of the kitchens at school. He cringed at the memory of the beating that had come after. "I believe him."

Draco shrugged. "I just simply cannot imagine anything magical coming from _him_."

"Neither can I," Harry shook his head. "Would you mind adding two places to breakfast, Draco? They will at least stay for that."

"Very well." Draco turned and left the room, but not before throwing a suspicious look at their guest.

Once they were alone, Harry knelt down next to Merigold once again. "Your father tells me you can do special things. Do you think you can show me?"

Merigold looked up at Dudley, questioningly. Dudley hesitated for a moment, and then knelt down as well. "Go on, love, show Harry how you made Daddy a flower."

Merigold wrinkled her nose and held out one small hand in front of her. Nothing happened for such a long time that Harry wondered if this was all some weird joke. But then, slowly, something orange-ish shimmered in the air above the girl's palm. A few moments latter, the head of a merigold flower rested on her skin. Merigold laughed in excitement.

"Is she like you?" Dudley asked nervously.

"Yes. Your daughter is a witch."

**A/N: _Reviews are always appreciated! Let me know what you liked or what could be improved. And have a very splendid day, all you fanfic readers out there ;) ~TJ (SnapeIsNotEvil)_**


	2. Ch 2: Dealing with Dudley

CHAPTER TWO: Dealing with Dudley

Breakfast was as awkward as Harry had imagined it would be. Now fully dressed, Harry and Draco sat opposite each other at the dining room table, with Dudley next to Harry. Merigold was placed at the end nearest Dudley so that she could be seen by everyone.

The silence was uncomfortable for everyone except, it seemed, Merigold. The smell of food had raised her spirits and she was all smiles as she shoveled eggs into her eager mouth. Dudley made a few attempts to slow her down, but eventually gave up and picked at his own breakfast with his fork. Draco ate quietly and pretended that the entire situation was perfectly normal, but Harry could not eat. He moved the eggs around on his plate, but when Merigold requested seconds, his plate was just as full as it had been. Draco noticed this and shot a concerned look at Harry, but still remained silent.

"More, please?" Merigold broke the silence and pointed to the pot of baked beans and plate of toast.

"How long has it been since you fed her?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.

"That's just how she eats," Dudley shruged. "It's impossible to fill her up."

Amused, Draco pushed the plate of toast toward the girl and spooned her out some more beans. Then, making use of the break in the silence, he turned to Dudley with a quizative look.

"I'm curious to know - how did you find Harry?" Draco asked. "We've done everything short of finding a secret-keeper to keep his address a secret."

"Secret-keeper?" Dudley looked confused. "I just searched Harry on the Internet."

"The Internet?" It was Draco's turn to be confused.

"Sure," Dudley continued. "I figured there was a decent enough chance Harry was living in London, so I searched for any Harry Potter I could find. I found two Harry's and one Harold. I tried the first Harry yesterday, but the man was in his 70's at least."

"There's another Harry Potter?" Dudley and Harry asked together, laughing.

"Seems so," Dudley responded. "I almost skipped right over this place when I saw the address. I didn't expect to find you in a penthouse flat in downtown London."

"What, your cousin doesn't know of the Potter fortune?" Draco smirked. "Though I suppose he would have shown up sooner on our doorstep had he known."

"...Potter fortune?" Dudley asked, his excitement not well hidden.

Before Harry could stop him, Draco began to explain. "The Potter's are one of the oldest wizarding families in Britain. Along with the Malfoys. Now of course, Harry is not a pureblood..."

"Draco..." Harry admonished the man across from him, but he knew it would do no good. Harry had never been as proud of his family name as Draco was of his.

"...but his father was," Draco continued, flashing a mishchevious smile at Harry as he did so. "For decades, some say centuries, the Potter's have only had one child - a son - each generation. So, naturally, the fortune remained quite large as it never had to be divided."

"Did mum and dad know?" Dudley looked at Harry, shocked.

Harry snorted. "Know? Of course not! Although it would have been little use to them had they found out. The enitre fortune is in wizarding currency, and I certainly would not have helped them exchange it."

Dudley's look of shock was still in full force on his worn face. He stared at Harry for just a little too long and then turned back to Draco. "So what, you married him for his money?"

Harry's look of hurt was nothing compared to the pure anger that spread across Draco's face. "Absolutely not!" He yelled, startling poor Merigold who was trying to stab the last of her beans with her fork. "I'll have you know I own two estates! One in Wiltshire and one in Normandy."

Dudley laughed at Draco's haughty response. "Then how'd you end up with _him_?"

"Dudley, drop it, will you?" Harry interjected quickly. "Look, how about we move into the living room?"

"Yes," Draco agreed, standing up abruptly, "Why don't you take Merigold into the other room, Dudley, while Harry and I clean up in here. We will join you momentarily."

"I could help clean?" Dudley offered, picking up his plate.

Harry's suprise at his cousin willingness to do any chore was completely overshadowed by the surprise Dudley felt as the plate in his hand began to float upwards.

"_Muggle_," Draco chided, his wand extended lazily in front of him.

"Go on, Dudley," Harry urged and helped Merigold out of her chair.

"Y-yeah...I'm...I'll go now," Dudley stumbled over his feet in his eagerness to leave the room.

Once Draco and Harry were along in the kitchen, Harry turned on Draco. "What were you thinking!?"

"Whoa!" Draco held up his hands in mock surrender. "You were the one who invited them to breakfast. I was merely making conversation."

"No, not _that_," Harry replied, exasperated. He ran a hand through his hair - nervous habit. "I meant the plate. You can't just go around using magic in front of him!"

Draco's responding look was of honest surprise this time. "Why not? He knows full well what we are, not to mention his daughter's new-found talents."

"Yes, but," Harry searched for the right words, "he hates magic."

Draco scoffed. "Hates magic? Who hates magic?"

"Oh, I don't know, witch-hunters?"

"Harry, don't be ridiculous. That was four hundred years ago."

Harry sighed. "You don't know Dudley. You don't know my family."

"I know quite a bit more about the Potters than you seem to," Draco teased.

"Not _them_, the Dursleys." Harry spit the name out like it was poison.

"Apparently not." Draco's tone softened as he moved toward Harry, "If he bothers you so much, why not just send him away?"

"Because..."

"Yes, yes, Potter must always save the day," Draco replied in a sing-song voice.

"I can't just let him leave," Harry defended himself. "Especially not with Merigold."

"Very well, but he is not staying here," Draco commanded.

"Draco..."

"Harry, no. I will not have a muggle living under my roof. I will be cordial and I will keep my comments to myself while he is around, but you knew full well when you married me that there's a part of me you can't ever 'save.'" Draco's words were forceful, but not unkind.

"Then where will he go? And what about the girl? I don't trust him with her, Draco."

"He obviously loves the girl, Harry. I don't know what you have to be worried about."

"If your daughter turned out to be a squib..."

"I am NOT having kids. We discussed this."

"But imagine, Draco. You're a kind person, I truly believe that, but you have ideas...expectations. Dudley's expectations are the exact opposite of yours."

"Muggle-hater versus Wizard-hater," Draco mused, his smirk returning.

"You don't _hate_ muggles."

"Right, I just severely _dislike_ them."

Harry rolled his eyes, but continued just the same, "Dudley doesn't have to stay. I'll rent him a hotel room for time being. But I want Merigold to stay."

"Oh yes, I'm sure that idea will go over well with your cousin." It was Draco's turn to roll his eyes.

"Well, he doesn't have much of a choice," Harry decided. "I'll tell him it's his only option if he wants my help."

"You're a fool, Harry Potter." Draco laughed.

* * *

"I'm sorry, what?!" Dudley stood up, anger written clearly across his face.

"Merigold stays here or I won't help," Harry repated.

"Absolutely not," Dudley fumed.

"Oh, come now, it won't be so bad," Draco chimed in. He was leaning back into the corner of the couch, legs crossed, with a mug of steaming tea in his hand. His smirk betrayed his amusement at the entire situation.

"Leave my daughter with a couple of poofs...magical poofs at that!"

"Now now," Draco chided. "She'll be in good hands. Harry's a kind soul and you won't be far away. Just around the corner, in fact. The view from the hotel is gorgeous..."

"No," Dudley interrupted.

"Dudley, it's the only way," Harry tried to reason. "You can't handle Merigold on your own. Her magic will get stronger by the day, and you won't know what to do."

"Mum and Dad figured out how to deal with you," Dudley tried to reason.

"Yeah, by locking me in a closet for ten years," Harry spat back.

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise and stared at Harry, but Harry pretended not to see.

"I'm not going to...I wouldn't do that to her," Dudley almost sounded embarassed.

"Well, I can't exactly trust you, can I," Harry growled back. "She's a part of my family now, and you know you need my help."

Dudley looked to Draco, as if he might find an ally there. "Can't I just stay here, too."

"Absolutely not," Draco replied without blinking. "Simply not an option."

"Merigold stays here," Harry repeated again. "You may visit her as often as you like, but until other arrangements are made, you will be staying in a hotel."

Dudley looked defeated. He looked older, somehow, as he gave Harry, then Draco one last pleading look.

"I'm sorry, but it's the only way I can help," Harry continued. "At least until I can trust you."

Dudley glanced behind him at the small girl sitting on the floor and coloring on a sheet of paper.

"I can come and visit often?" He asked, not taking his eyes from his daughter.

"Of course," Harry replied.

If it's the only way..." Dudley sighed in defeat, "then I accept."

* * *

**A/N: I can't thank y'all enough for all the reviews and favorites! I replied to all the reviews that I could, but to those of you who have PM's turned off or reviewed anonymously, let me extend my thanks that you took the time to leave me some feedback. It really does help! I have a general idea of where this fic is heading, but nothing is set in stone, and your questions and comments really do help me sort out exactly where to go next.  
Anywhoo, enough of my rambling! I hope you enjoyed the chapter ^^ See y'all at the next chapter! ~TJ**


	3. Ch 3: Recalling the Past

CHAPTER THREE: Recalling the Past

Draco was propped up in bed reading when Harry finally entered the bedroom. Draco watched Harry as he closed the door then leaned up against with a sigh of utter exhaustion. Harry looked at Draco, his eyes pleading for pity, but Draco only laughed.

"Is she finally asleep?" Draco closed the book and grinned at his tired partner.

"I'm beginning to understand your 'no children' stance," Harry grunted as he pushed himself away from the door and began to shed his clothes. His shirt came off first, then his pants, until finally he was able to crawl gratefully into bed with only his boxers on. Draco watched the other man with interest as he fell into his pillow.

"She's a nightmare," Harry muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Harry!" Draco admonished, playfully. "I find her to be a delight."

"Of course you do." Harry rolled onto his side so that he could look up at Draco between his drooping eyelids. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a five-year-old to go to sleep? It took me twenty minutes just to convince her to stop jumping on the bed. And then she wanted to be read to. FIVE times."

"This _was_ your idea," Draco teased. He placed his book on the nightstand next to him, used his wand to shut off the lights, and then sidled down in bed next to Harry. Draco didn't fight the warmth that spread through him as he felt Harry's sleepy arms reach out and pull him closer.

"Fix it, Draco," Harry whined.

"Let her stay with Dudley," Draco replied. He could almost feel the frown forming on Harry's lips, hidden from view by the darkness of the room. "Is Dudley really that bad?"

"You have no idea."

"Give me an idea," Draco pressed.

Harry said nothing. Draco couldn't be sure if it was out of irritation, anger, uncertainty, or just plain exhaustion. The past was a taboo topic between the two of them. The past was only brought up in the most desperate of circumstances – after a bad nightmare, after Harry's occasional panic attacks, after fights… But this was a different sort of past, Draco noted to himself. This wasn't _their_ past. It was Harry's childhood, before he had even known he was a wizard – so surely their unspoken rules didn't apply here?

And Draco was terribly curious. Harry had mentioned his muggle family on a number of occasions to Draco, but only in the vaguest of terms. He knew there was the cousin Dudley, an Aunt Petunia, and an Uncle…Berny?...no Vernon. Uncle Vernon. They had lived in three bedroom house. Harry had the smaller room. But that was all Draco knew, the bare minimums of Harry's muggle life. Granted, it was partly Draco's fault. Muggles bored him. Or, so he told Harry. In truth, Draco was a little curious about them. How does a person live without magic?

"Please not tonight," Harry finally mumbled as he pulled Draco closer to him, effectively breaking Draco's train of thought.

Draco recognized an exhaustion in Harry's voice that had nothing to do with sleep. It was the same exhaustion that Draco heard when Harry talked about the war, on those very rare occasions. Realizing this, Draco suddenly felt a deep hatred for Dudley that he couldn't entirely explain. Harry was hurt, Draco could tell, and Dudley seemed to be the cause – or at least the trigger.

"Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight, love."

* * *

"Is she alright?" Dudley demanded to know as Draco let him into the flat the next morning. His expression was somewhere between worry and a 'I-will-destroy-you-if-she's-not' look.

"Are you worried we threw her out the window?" Draco scowled, as he shut the door behind Harry's cousin. "Of course she's fine. She's still asleep."

"Merigold?" Dudley's expression moved from relief to confusion.

"You are daft," Draco rolled his eyes and headed towards the kitchen. He needed coffee if he was going to continue to deal with this oaf.

"I just meant that I'm surprised she's still asleep. She's normally an early riser."

"Define 'early,'" Draco growled from the kitchen. As he waited for the water to boil, he glanced at the sky outside. Sunrise. The sun was just now bloody rising and he was awake and making coffee. He glared at Dudley through the kitchen wall.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," Dudley replied nonchalantly, finding a place to sit on the couch as he waited for Draco to return. "It's amazing how difficult it is to stay asleep when you know two freaks have kidnapped your daughter."

Draco was simply too tired to roll his eyes. He summoned two coffee mugs from the cupboards, cursed when he accidentally spilt the cream on the counter, and angrily grabbed the bowl of sugar tucked away in a corner. If he wasn't so bloody nice he would have forced Harry to deal with his cousin instead. But that's what Draco was now. _Nice_.

Now Draco could roll his eyes.

"Which room is she in? I'll go wake her," Dudley asked, standing up as Draco came into the room carrying the tray of coffee he had prepared.

"Sit down," Draco commanded. He sat the tray down on the coffee table and glared at Dudley. "Merigold is _fine_. And we have some things to do discuss."

"Discuss?" Dudley frowned, but obeyed Draco's command.

"Yes, discuss. While Harry's still asleep."

"Oh great," Dudley sighed and leaned back into the couch, throwing up his hands in mock defeat as he did so. "This is where I get scolded for all the things I did to Harry back in the day, isn't it? What's he told you then, huh?"

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You were much more pleasant yesterday when you needed to convince Harry to help you. Where's that charm now?"

Dudley folded his arms and remained silent.

"Harry has hardly mentioned you," Draco continued, ignoring the other man's indignant silence. He poured one mug of coffee, then a second. "Sugar?"

"No," Dudley responded automatically. "You said yesterday you were the only person he hated more than me, so he must have told you something."

"Very little," Draco offered the mug of black coffee to the guest and poured out two spoonfuls of sugar into his.

Dudley shrugged and took the coffee. "So what is it you're so desperate to 'discuss?'?"

Draco sipped his coffee and said nothing for a moment. Then, slowly, he raised his eyes to meet Dudley's. He sat there for a moment, just staring. "What did you do to him?"

"Who?" Dudley replied.

"Harry. What did you do to Harry?" Draco was becoming impatient.

"I didn't do a bloody thing to Harry," Dudley said, suddenly angry.

"Liar."

"Don't call me a fuckin' liar. I didn't do a thing to that freak."

Draco tensed. The urge to reach for his wand and curse the man in front of him was overpowering. But if Draco had learned anything helpful from his past, it was how to stay cool in moments of consuming anger.

"_Liar_," Draco repeated.

"What makes you think I did something?" Dudley countered. "You said yourself Harry hardly mentions me."

"And when he does, I can see the hurt in him. So spit it out, _muggle_." Harry would have been very angry if he'd caught Draco using 'muggle' as insult, but Harry was still asleep, Draco thought. He would get some answers of Dudley first before he talked to Harry, he had decided.

"Or what," Dudley mused. "What's a puny guy like you going to do to me?"

"Harry tells me you don't like magic," Draco replied casually as he pulled out his wand and placed it gingerly in his lap. "I can only imagine why. If you'd like, I'll show you some?"

Dudley stared at the wand in Draco's lap. He tried to hide the fear he felt, but his eyes gave him away. He considered his options, immediately ruling out running away when he recalled that Merigold was in the next room. He couldn't just leave her here. Finally deciding on an action, he began to speak.

"Alright, so I may have had a little fun with Harry now and again. But it was all just stupid pranks!" Dudley kept his eyes locked on the wand.

"What kind of pranks?" Draco encouraged.

"I dunno, just stupid stuff. It's been years. How should I remember?"

Draco's hand moved towards the wand so that his fingers began to curl around the handle. "I think you do remember."

Dudley swallowed. "I may have pushed him around a little. You know, just kid stuff."

Draco's anger was rising. He could tell Dudley was holding back. How mad would Harry be if he just did a small curse on this man? He raised his wand…

"Draco!" Harry's voice bellowed from behind him. Draco dropped his wand back into his lap and looked up at Harry with an expression of guilt.

"What is this?" Harry demanded to know. "An interrogation?"

Dudley tried to look the part of victim as Harry looked in his direction. Draco merely looked at his knees and took some more sips of his coffee.

"_Accio mug_," Harry called out. There was a clink of china and then Harry's hand darted up to catch the summoned mug.

"Damn," Dudley stared.

"Now how come _you_ get to use magic around him," Draco accused.

"Because I'm Harry Potter," Harry growled as he sat down next to Draco and poured himself some coffee.

Silence overtook the room as the three men sat and sipped their steaming mugs of coffee. Harry leaned back against Draco and closed his eyes, trying to pretend for a moment that this was just a normal morning. Draco reached up a hand to stroke Harry's hair. Dudley simply stared.

"I'm hungry," a small voice called out.

* * *

**A/N: Oops! It took me longer to get this chapter up than I planned. I blame school. And Easter break. And...okay, it was my bad. But now it's up!  
Thank you so much to all of you who have left reviews/favorited/followed this story. It makes me happy =) I _think_ I replied to all of the reviews that I was allowed to, but if I missed yours, I give you my sincere apologies. Yell at me in your next review.**

**I really like hearing y'all's feedback on the characters - both the positives and the negatives. I'm always up for a good critique if it's deserved, so don't be afraid to let me know if you think I could do something better.**

**Anywhoo, happy reading! ~TJ**


	4. Ch 4: Dudley's Mistake

CHAPTER FOUR: Dudley's Mistake

Once Merigold was settled at the table with her plate of toast and beans, Harry headed back into the living room. He half expected to find Dudley at the end of Draco's wand again, but to his relief the two men seemed content to just glare at each other across the room.

"Well, I suppose we should work out the details then," Harry said a little louder than he needed to in an attempt to break the glaring.

"What do you mean 'details?'" Dudley narrowed his eyes.

"Draco and I both work, and we obviously can't bring Merigold with us, so you will need to be responsible for picking her up every morning and dropping her off when Draco gets home from St. Mungo's," Harry explained, noticing with some irritation that Draco had begun to doze off on the couch.

"But I thought you two were ungodly rich?" Dudley scoffed.

"Rich, but not lazy," Draco responded in the most bored tone he could muster.

"I am _not_ lazy, if that's what you're suggesting," Dudley growled. "Just unemployed."

Harry had half a mind to remind Dudley just how lazy he had been growing up, but bit his tongue. He took a breath and tried again. "So you'll need to pick up your daughter at eight a.m. sharp, and drop her off no later than three in the afternoon. I won't be home until later, but Draco is fully capable…"

"Now hold on," Draco sat up and shot an alarmed look at Harry. "I did not sign up to babysit."

"This is ridiculous," Dudley added, setting his coffee mug on the table with a little too much force. "Merigold does not need a babysitter, and I will pick up and drop off my daughter as I see fit!"

"Harry, a word," Draco stated calmly as he stood up and motioned to the bedroom.

Exasperated, Harry let the anger he felt escape in the direction of his cousin. "You'll do exactly as I say, damn it! I had absolutely NO reason to let you into my home, but I did because you wanted my help and as much as I despise you, as much as you've hurt me, Merigold is still my family. But if you think for one _second_ that I trust you to be a decent human being, then you are sorely mistaken!"

Dudley seemed torn between staring and yelling back, but before he could decide on a course of action, Draco stood up and, taking Harry firmly by the arm, moved into the bedroom he had motioned to earlier.

"What the hell do you want, Draco?" Harry lashed out once Draco had managed to close the door behind him.

"For you to shut up for a minute and use your brain!" Draco scolded. "I know you too well, Harry. You save first and think later, but this time I'm going to need you to use your damn head."

Harry just glared. He knew Draco was probably right, but he had no intention of admitting.

"I get, I do. You want to help the girl. But be honest with me," Draco let his voice soften, "how much of this plan of yours is based on causing your cousin pain."

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked, his voice a deadly low.

"He's obviously caused you pain!" Draco motioned to the closed door. "And I am sorry that I've pressed you to tell me, but you're not acting rational! You can't just take away someone's child and expect them to be okay with it…"

"Yeah, because you of all people should be explaining right from wrong."

The words stung Draco like a curse. Stepping back, a look of hurt drew across his face.

"I…I'm so sorry," Harry faltered, stepping forward to keep the distance with his husband. "I didn't mean it, you know that I didn't. I say stupid things when I'm angry!"

Draco leaned back as if to take another step, but hesitated. Harry, eyes pleading, tried again, "Please, Draco, forgive me."

Draco stayed silent, thinking. Finally, making eye contact with Harry, he spoke, "I need you to tell me why you've kept your past a secret. What has he done to you to cause this anger?"

Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his perpetually messy hair. "I'll tell you, I promise. Tonight if you want, but Merigold has probably finished her breakfast and Dudley will get suspicious."

"You are avoiding still."

"No!" Harry objected. "I mean, yes, but only for now because it's too long of a story to tell you now. And I would rather Dudley not be around when I tell you."

"Afraid I'll curse him?" Draco smirked, stepping forward to place his hands on Harry's hips. "You know I would do that for you, just say the word."

Harry laughed at Draco's suggestion. "I might just take you up on that offer, but we should probably go talk to Dudley again."

"I'm still not okay with babysitting."

"Just this once? Just today? We can figure out a better plan later, but we're going to be late for work," Harry held up his wrist to show Draco the watch Molly Weasley had given him so many years before.

"Very well," Draco surrendered. "But on one condition – You actually have to stay for dinner with my parents this weekend. No fake excuses about an emergency at work, or anything else."

Harry grimaced. "But they hate me! …No, don't give me that look. …Fine, your father hates me, your mother tolerates me. …Damn it. Fine. I'll stay for dinner."

Draco grinned in triumph. "Now let's go get rid of that idiot in our living room."

* * *

It took both Harry and Draco longer than either one wanted to admit to realize something was wrong when they had stepped into the living room. Neither said a word, but simply stared. The room they stood in was in chaos. Books were strewn on the floor, the coffee mugs were turned on their sides allowing the coffee to drip steadily from the table onto the carpet, and several valuable items that had once been displayed on shelves and side tables were very obviously missing. But what was most concerning of all was the fact that Dudley and his daughter were nowhere to be found. Harry was the first to break the silence.

"Shit."

"I don't think that word fully sums up the situation," Draco replied.

"Shit."

"I'm going to kill that muggle."

"I'll help. …Shit."

"How did we not hear him?" Draco began pacing the room, taking note of what was missing.

"What was he thinking?!" Harry yelled at the mess around him.

"Harry, what used to be on this shelf here?" Draco asked as he bent down next to a bookcase in the corner.

"My old school textbooks, why?" Harry replied as he placed the mugs upright. Then suddenly, he froze. "Draco, where is your wand?"

"I left it on the table next to the couch," Draco answered, his back still turned to the room as he examined the shelves.

"Draco, where is your wand?" Harry repeated.

"I just told you, it's over…," Draco whipped around to face Harry. "I'll kill him, I swear I will."

"Well, then grab a knife, because he definitely took your wand."

Draco was at the front door in two strides. But Harry, guessing at this reaction, ran to block his way. "You're still in your dressing gown. Go get dressed and I'll floo work to let them know we won't be in today."

Draco had half a mind to push past Harry, but the thought of running around London in his pajamas changed his mind. Instead he turned on his heels and returned to the bedroom to dress. No less than five minutes later, the two apparated from the penthouse, desperate to catch a thief.

* * *

**A/N: I am back and updating! (Finally...) So long story short, I have now finished all the coursework for my degree and have begun avoiding writing my thesis. And what better way to avoid writing a thesis than by writing fanfiction?! Haha, I'm insane. But, hey! New chapter! The next one is already in the works, so cross your fingers that I keep procrastinating on my graduate work ;) Happy reading! (and reviewing! because reviewing is fun *nods*) ~TJ**


	5. Ch 5: Flying Fists

CHAPTER FIVE: Flying Fists

Dudley tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the elevator to finish descending. Any second his cousin would realize what he had done and would be on his heels. He looked up and watch the numbers slowly descend on the digital display.

15…14….13…

The elevator jolted as it reached the twelfth floor. Dudley held his breath, expecting the worst. But it was just another resident heading towards the lobby. Relieved, Dudley shifted Merigold in his arms and checked his jacket pocket again. It had only been a few minutes since his escape from the penthouse, but the action was becoming a habit. The wand was still there, he reassured himself. It couldn't hurt him, right?

3…2…1…0

The moment the elevator doors opened, Dudley grabbed the books he had stolen and lurched out the door.

"Pretty!" Merigold squealed in delight at the glass chandeliers lighting the lobby.

"Yes yes, very pretty," Dudley mumbled as he half walked, half jogged to the front door. He had no plan of action, but he had decided in the elevator that he would return to the hotel. He needed privacy and quiet to figure out what to do next.

"They won't think I'm stupid enough to go back there," Dudley reasoned out loud with himself. "They'll think I've gone as far away as possible!"

Once he was on the street, he began to jog. The hotel was near. Harry hadn't lied when he had said it was just around the corner. Dudley checked his pocket. Still there.

As he neared the hotel entrance, Dudley struggled to catch his breath. He had lost a quite a bit of weight in the previous months, but it was due more to stress and lack of food than to any new healthy habits. Carrying a five year old and a bag full of books on a jog down a crowded city street proved more difficult than Dudley had imagined. Once he had entered the lobby, he immediately set down Merigold and doubled over, hands on knees, to try and regain his composure.

"Pick me up!" Merigold demanded, irritated at being ignored. She tugged at her father's pants, but, getting no response, moved on to tugging at his jacket. One sharp pull, and to her delight, something fell out of a pocket. A stick! It certainly wasn't the best of toys, Merigold thought, but it would keep her entertained for a little bit.

She bent over to pick it up.

"NO!" Dudley managed to yell through his heaves. He nearly toppled over as he rushed to pick up the wand before Merigold's small hands made contact. He quickly stuffed it back into his jacket pocket.

Merigold, disappointed that her new toy had been taken and upset that she had been yelled up, promptly fell on the ground and began to throw a tantrum. Within seconds, the hotel lobby was filled with her screams and sobs.

"Stop that!" Dudley scolded her, trying to pick her up. But Merigold kicked and flailed, making it more difficult than the exhausted father could handle. Groaning, he kneeled down on the ground next to her. "Please, dear, get up? Once we get up to our room you can play with your toys there. Don't you want to see your bunny? Or how about your dolls? I bet they miss you very much."

Merigold gave a giant sniff and stopped her flailing. She did want to see her dolls. After a moment, she pushed herself up off the floor and held up her arms to be picked up. Dudley, still too exhausted to carry her weight, took one of her hands in his and urged her to follow him to the elevator. Merigold gave a pout, but followed along willingly.

* * *

"Well well well, look who we found, Harry my dear," Draco cried out in mock surprise as the door to the hotel room had closed firmly behind the oblivious Dudley.

Dudley froze. His eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, desperate to find the source of the voice. There, on a small loveseat sat his cousin and his blonde husband. Dudley's mind raced for an idea. Should he turn and run? Should he try and talk his way out of this?

And then he remembered his pocket.

In a flash, Dudley dropped Merigold's hand and reached for the wand protruding from his jacket pocket. But before he could even pull it out, he felt his body freeze.

"I didn't expect you to be so stupid," Harry growled from behind his outstretched arm.

Dudley tried to growl back, but he could not force any sound out. Instead, he watched silently as Draco stood up and moved to stand in front of him, blocking the view of his cousin.

"Did you really think you would be able to use it?" Draco asked, a look of amusement playing across his face. "Or that we wouldn't find?"

Dudley felt the man's hands bush against his own as the wand was eased from his frozen grip. He wanted to yell, to fight, but he was powerless against this man. And then, to his great horror, he felt the wand press firmly against his neck.

"I should kill you," Draco whispered into his ear so that Harry couldn't hear. "I've hurt people for far less…"

"Draco…," Harry warned, aware of the silence.

Draco smirked and tapped his wand against Draco's head. "You're lucky your cousin is here to save you."

It took Dudley a moment or two to realize he could move again. With the realization came a burning anger. He clenched his fist and let it fly in the direction of Draco's smirking face. There was an audible _crack_ as his fist made contact.

A split second later, Dudley felt his entire body slam against the door behind him. He felt his breath leave him and was aware of Merigold's scream of shock as he crumpled to the ground.

Harry ran to Draco who had also crumpled to the ground, ignoring the sobbing Merigold as he passed. "Draco? Are you okay? Come on, say something."

There was no response – Draco had been knocked out cold. Blood was trickling from his partially opened mouth and a bruise was already forming across his pale face. Harry stood up and glanced around the room, weighing his options. He needed to take Draco to St. Mungo's, but he couldn't very well leave Merigold alone with her passed out father.

Harry hesitated for a moment, then held out his wand. _Expecto Patronum!_

A bright, silvery light filled the room. Temporarily distracted, Merigold quieted her sobs to watch as the shimmering stag waited for instructions.

"I need help. I wouldn't ask if I could handle this on my own. Follow my patronus," Harry spoke to the stag. Then, with quick wave of his wand, the patronus leapt upward and disappeared as it hit the nearby wall.

Harry paced as he waited anxiously. His eyes darted from Draco, to Merigold, back to Draco, and then to Dudley. Just as he heard a groan coming from his cousin, a loud _pop_! sounded behind him.

"Blimey Harry," a familiar voice said as Harry turned to greet him. Ron Weasley took stock of the scene around him, his eyes finally resting on Merigold. "What happened? And who's she?"

Harry felt relief wash over him, but the feeling quickly dissipated as Dudley let another, more audible groan.

"I need to get Draco to St. Mungo's, but I can't leave the girl here alone," Harry quickly explained and moved back towards Draco. He had to try and lift him if he was going to apparate.

Ron frowned, pulling out is wand and pointing it at the groaning figure as a precaution. "Who is that?"

"My cousin," Harry grunted, as he placed one limp arm over his shoulders and tried to stand. "And his daughter."

"And he's passed out on the ground because…"

"Look, I'll explain later, just watch over the girl, and don't let him leave."

Harry had just managed to get to his feet when Ron's confusion finally bubbled over into anger.

"Damn it, Harry! Would you tell me what the bloody hell is going on?! I haven't spoken to you in months, and then this?" Ron frantically gestured at the room around him.

"Well if you haven't noticed, now isn't exactly a swell time for questions, is it?" Harry shot back. "Draco needs help…"

"You know I don't give two damns about Malfoy!" Ron bellowed. "You have some nerve asking for my help after what you did to my sister."

"I didn't do…," Harry started to argue, but then paused. "No, no we're not doing this right now. I'm going to St. Mungo's. Take the girl and meet me there and I promise we'll talk."

Ron started to protest, but feeling it was pointless at this point, moved toward the child. "And your cousin?"

"Leave him."

* * *

**A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! This may be the last one I upload until next weekend (because I do have to get at least something done on my thesis if I plan on graduating...). However, if I get another chapter ready to go before then, I'll post it ASAP.  
A big thank you to all the reviewers, followers, and favorite-ers! It's nice to know that even if my thesis turns out to be crap (dear lord I hope not), I'll at least know that I didn't totally fail at writing fanfiction! Happy reading! ~TJ**


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